Citizen Cider

Citizen Cider was founded in 2011 by Justin Heilenbach, Bryan Holmes and Kris Nelson. Kris was working as a wine salesmen, Bryan as a chemist and Justin as a small farmer. All discontent for one reason or another, they started making test batches of hard cider in Bryan’s basement. Citizen Cider becomes an idea. Kris and Bryan tracked down an old cider press (the image on the Unified Press label) and tended to the batches while Justin moved across the country from Portland, OR. Citizen Cider becomes real. In 2011/2012 Citizen Cider launched its flagship brand, Unified Press, and produced a total of roughly 5000 gallons. As it happened, our cider was popular and it sold out quickly. Citizen Cider starts looking viable. We spent the summer of 2012 trying to figure out how to make and get more cider to the people. We worked on a plan with Stan, the owner Happy Valley Orchards in Middlebury Vermont, and we produced 28,000 gallons in our second year. Now, in 2014, we have opened up our new space on beautiful Pine Street in Burlington’s South End and are working to quadruple our production and make 100,000 gallons in our expanded space. We now make and market eight different hard ciders.